The Enterprise Minister was last night under fire after taking a return flight to the Baftas just days after promising to crackdown on unnecessary air travel.

Nicol Stephen flew business class to the gala TV and film awards on Sunday night from his home in Aberdeen. He stayed overnight in London, then flew back yesterday to Glasgow.

The total cost to taxpayers for Mr Stephen's trip, which included a £170 hotel room, was £594.

Mr Stephen was invited to the Baftas last week by Scottish Screen, the national film quango, and was a guest on its table.

Patricia Ferguson, the Labour Culture Minister, was also invited by Scottish Screen but declined because of diary commitments.

Among the stars at the event were Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Judi Dench, singer Kylie Minogue, actor Forest Whitaker, and James Bond girl Eva Green.

Last night, Mr Stephen was branded a hypocrite over the visit, as just five days earlier he had pledged to make government more carbon-conscious and cut back on air travel to combat global warming.

On February 6, he said: "I am committed to ending the use of flights from Edinburgh or Glasgow to London for executive business, in all but the most exceptional circumstances.

"Cutting unnecessary use of air travel makes a huge difference to our individual impact on the planet and the government must take the lead."

MSP Mark Ballard, Green Party transport spokesman, said: "Nicol Stephen should never be believed on the environment and climate change, even in the most exceptional circumstances.

"A junket to the Baftas could hardly be described as urgent state business - if he had to go, he should have gone by train."

An SNP spokeswoman said: "First we had the First Minister jumping on the first plane to London the moment his bosses call, and now we have the Deputy First Minister doing the same for a night out on the town.

"The environment is about the big changes needed to meet the big issues for Scotland and the world - not little gestures from Mr McConnell and his deputy that they can't even stick to."

A Scottish Executive spokesman said: "Ministers are looking at the travel options available.

"In this case, he considered trying to get a train there and back. But a train from Aberdeen would probably have necessitated an extra overnight stay. And on the way back the flight was to allow him to go to an event in Glasgow.

"The Scottish film industry is an important sector and ministers have a record of supporting it."

Last week, Mr McConnell promised that he would halve his annual domestic air flights.